Costly Property Development Concerns Raised at Packed Balzac Hall

Costly Property Development Concerns Raised at Packed Balzac Hall

In the room

More than fifty people crowded into a packed hall in Balzac on Wednesday afternoon, September 3, 2014 as Rocky View 2020 began a series of fact-finding sessions to hear concerns about local development issues from taxpayers.

At the session, 2020 Executive Director Eric Lowther outlined the tremendous amount of work his growing organization has undertaken on behalf of landowners. The meeting was attended by many new faces, including ranchers, home builders, developers, small landowners, and real estate professionals.

“the intense focus for the next couple of months is to push for positive changes”

Lowther said the intense focus for the next couple of months is to push for positive changes during Council’s promised full review of the County Plan, which guides all future development in the County.

Despite loudly voiced concerns at Public Hearings that were spread over three days, Council passed the County Plan just before the last election, committing then to a thorough review this October.

Concerns

Rocky View 2020 heard from a diverse range of the community at the Balzac session. Although Rocky View 2020 is promoting a positive and vibrant vision for the County, many participants told of negative experiences, including:

rule changes once construction of homes had started;

very slow, bureaucratic approval processes;

public input being ignored;

new residential development being driven to locations where few people have any desire to live; and

In almost all cases the issues have raised costs or driven down land values.

Rocky View 2020 produced a chart that shows new development in Rocky View lags behind almost all municipalities in the region, even though it is by far the largest community in terms of land size in the region.

“In almost all cases the issues have raised costs or driven down land values.”